


Sing

by SymphonicFantasia



Series: Just a Shidgen [7]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Brother-Sister Relationships, Gen, If you want to see it as a romantic light be my guest, Male Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Shidge Week 2016, Shidge Week 2016: Special Skills/Strengths, Shiro Can Sing, Talent Shows
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2017-07-30
Packaged: 2018-12-08 19:15:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11652978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SymphonicFantasia/pseuds/SymphonicFantasia
Summary: Getting alliances to battle Zarkon and his forces were important. But talent shows? Were some alien races so fickle that they required their future allies to prove they can perform something special?The answer was yes, apparently, and Pidge didn't know how they were going to get out of this one.





	Sing

“You’re kidding,” Shiro said. He was the only one who dared to talk.

“I’m afraid not, Paladins. It’s either this or we walk away without an alliance,” Coran explained.

Pidge groaned and looked up at the ceiling. For once he wanted things to go their way. They’ve been through wormholes, near death experiences with Zarkon, various terms for alliances, but _this_ was the one thing they were having a tough time with.

After all, why should they entertain a bunch of aliens for an alliance? The Paladins of Voltron have more important things to do than dance or make jokes for them. Coran warned them that the Kittorks were beings of entertainment. There was nothing they enjoyed more than entertaining others and, essentially, having fun.

They didn’t have time for all that when they could be finding others that will join forces with them with little effort.

“Let’s just go to another planet,” Keith suggested. He sat in his seat, arms crossed and a scowl set on his face. “We don’t _have_ to do this.”

“It’s essential that we do,” Allura corrected. She pulled up a screen. It held various lists of the Kittorks skill sets and their equipment. “With their allegiance, we’ll be able to get fighter ships for our other alliances.”

“We’ll have to suffer just a few performances, but our army will be stronger than ever!” Coran added. His eyes sparkled as he stared at the screens. “Zarkon won’t know what hit him when we come in with new sleek equipment.”

Pidge groaned again, a loud sound that drew everyone’s attention to him.

“Do any of us even _have_ talents to show _off_ to these guys?” he questioned.

The room was silent in response.

“That’s what I thought.”

“I guess I could bake something for them,” Hunk said, raising a hand to scratch at his scalp.

“Oh! Oh! If we can find something like a ukulele, I can play them a song!” Lance added. He moved closer to Allura and leaned in. “It’s a nice romantic ballad. I think it just might be the ticket to unlocking someone’s true love for me.”

Keith let out a heavy sigh. “I can try and demonstrate throwing knives if someone assisted me…” 

“I have no special talent what so ever,” Pidge said. “I can find a rootkit in your computer in under twenty seconds, but that’s not a talent.”

Not really, anyway.

All eyes landed on Shiro. He shifted uncomfortably, his arms crossed.

“Don’t look at me. I don’t have anything to offer to the table.”

“It’s not much, but it will have to do,” Allura stated, ending the conversation. “Coran and I will go to the Kittorks and get a time for you all to perform your talents. Until then, I suggest you all practice. If we can get their alliance with as little performances as possible, it will be better for us all.”

Their small team disbanded, leaving only Shiro and Pidge on the bridge.

Pidge stared at him, taking in his stiff posture and the deep frown lines on his face. He can’t recall ever seeing those lines there before. Rising from his seat, he walked over to Shiro to stand by his side, his hands clasped behind his back. They stared out at the stars, a comfortable, if not a little bit tense, silence between them.

“So…”

“So…” Shiro repeated.

“You have no talent at all?” Pidge asked, looking up at him.

Shiro gave him a wry smile. “I’m the poster child of the Garrison. My talent was flying and coming up with strategies. _That_ was all I was needed for.”

Pidge smiled. “Hopefully you can come up with a strategy that a get us the Kittorks alliance if this talent show fails.”

His shoulders rose and fell with a heavy sigh. “I’m going to try.”

* * *

As far as disasters go, this wasn’t so bad.

Of course, that was only if someone looked at the situation through rose colored glasses. Once those glasses came off, the disaster could be seen in a blaze of fire.

Lance’s ukulele playing was subpar and did not go well with the Kittorks. After three minutes of the song, they asked him to leave the stage. Keith’s knife throwing talents were a bit more appreciated, until him and Lance started to argue. It was a wonder why Lance had offered to help him in the first place. Hunk’s talent was going a bit better and would have landed them the alliance if what he cooked was edible.

The Kittorks were becoming aggressive now.

They chittered in a language they couldn’t understand. Coran and Allura dared not to repeat their words. Chaos was clearly going to be the only thing they’d be getting out of this. It wasn’t good and they were on the verge of losing an asset to their cause.

Keith and Lance argued over whose fault it was, Hunk panicked and thought about how else this could go wrong, while Allura and Coran talked about a way out of this disaster.

Pidge sighed. He leaned against Shiro and crossed his arms. Shiro’s mechanical arm came around his shoulders and gave him a comforting squeeze.

This whole time, Shiro had been their announcer, saying who was next and what they would be doing. When he wasn’t on stage, preparing their audience, he was helping the others prepare for their act. If Keith needed help with his knives, he was there; if Lance needed a new ukulele string, Shiro arrived to help him; if Hunk needed a taste tester, he was on the other side of the room, making sure he wasn’t the unlucky victim.

“What are we going to do now?” Pidge asked. “We’re going to lose an alliance. With our luck, they’ll probably end up siding with Zarkon.”

“Not all hope is lost, Pidge.”

Pidge looked up at Shiro, a pout on his lips. “Really? Cause the Kittorks are _not_ liking Coran’s mustache care demonstration. They don’t even have hair!”

Shiro sighed through his nose. His eyes had never left the stage, watching as Coran failed to impress the alien race. Pidge knew that all hope was lost. He believed that they should go ahead and get out now while they all still had their dignity intact.

Maybe there was another planet looking to them for an alliance.

“I’m borrowing your laptop.”

Pidge nearly fell when Shiro moved. He watched as Shiro took the laptop and walked out onto the stage. Coran ran past him, his hands shielding his mustache from whatever the Kittorks were throwing at him.

“What’s he doing out there?” Allura asked, appearing at Pidge’s side.

“I don’t know,” Pidge answered. “He said he was borrowing my laptop and went on stage.”

They both looked at Keith. Keith was still working on cooling down from his argument with Lance. He looked irritated, even more so when Pidge and Allura decided to stare at him. Keith crossed his arms and turned his nose up to them.

“I don’t know what he’s doing, either,” Keith answered. “Shiro didn’t tell me if he had anything planned. You all heard him last night.”

Pidge rolled his eyes and stepped closer to the stage. He peeked out and watched the Kittork. They had various looking fruits and vegetables in their hand. Regardless of what Shiro was going to do, they planned on throwing them if he flopped.

Pidge wondered if it was too late to pull the curtain on him. It would be too horrific to see his leader get pummeled by some angry aliens.

But Pidge needed to have some faith in Shiro. His plans had never failed them yet.

Once Shiro was done with the laptop, he placed it on the floor. He stepped up to the microphone before him and adjusted it until it reached his desired height. Pidge could see him smile and nod at the crowd before taking a deep breath.

Music started to play from Pidge’s laptop.

It was a song that he couldn’t recall downloading onto it before. In fact, he rarely downloaded music onto it. So, the song was just as puzzling to him as it was for the rest of his team members. Pidge had no answer to give them when they gave him questioning gazes.

_Should I try to hide the way I feel inside my heart for you?_ ” Shiro sang, running his hands through his hair.

Oh.

_Oh._

So Shiro _did_ have a secret talent that he didn’t tell any of them.

Shiro could _sing_. Shiro could sing and it sounded like the most amazing voice they have ever heard.

Pidge swore he heard all their jaws drop to the ground.

_"Would you say that you would try to love me, too? In your mind could you ever be really close to me? I can tell the way you smile. If I feel that I could be certain then I would say the things I want to say tonight._ ”

“Look!” Coran said, shaking Pidge by his shoulders.

Coran pointed a long finger to the crowd of Kittork. They had lowered their makeshift weapons and were staring at Shiro now. In the back, others had their chin in their hands, their elbows resting on the table. They looked mesmerized by Shiro’s singing. This was the quietest they’ve been since they started their little talent show.

In the front, the leaders of their race nodded approvingly at each other.

“I think that did it,” Allura said, her voice just above a whisper. It was a voice filled with hope and disbelief. She looked to Keith and Pidge followed her gaze. “Did you know he could sing like this?”

Keith continued to stare at the stage, shaking his head. “No. He’s… he’s never sung for me or anyone before…”

Pidge adjusted his glasses. He couldn’t recall Shiro singing for anyone in his family, either. Even when they played Rock Band and tried to hand Shiro the microphone, he would politely decline and stick with one of the instruments. Shiro would tease Matt and Pidge for days while their voices began to heal.

Pidge could see why he wouldn’t want anyone to know that he could sing. If anyone who had a crush on him knew about it, Shiro would be mobbed constantly. They would want him to sing a song for them. Hiding his talent was the best way to give himself some peace and quiet.

_"But ‘til I can see that you’d really care for me, I’ll keep trying to hide the way I feel inside._ ”

Shiro stepped back from the microphone as the music ended. The Kittork applauded for him instantly. He bowed to them, reached down to grab the laptop, and then hurried off stage. Pidge could see how red his face was. He took the laptop that Shiro nearly shoved into his hands.

Pidge ran after him as he hurried away from their small group. He didn’t shout after Shiro or tell him to slow down. He was grateful that Shiro didn’t tell him to stop following him. So long as he didn’t say that, Pidge planned on following him.

They left the elegant building that the Kittork called their home for the performing arts. The architecture had dazzled Pidge when he first saw it. They were given a tour of it before they started their little performance. It was as amazing inside as it was outside. It was an honor to work inside it.

Shiro kept walking until they reached the castle a couple of miles away from the building. It was difficult for Pidge to follow him with his long legs. Pidge was too short to be chasing after tall men.

Shiro finally stopped and leaned against the castle, his face turned to the sky, his eyes closed.

Pidge was out of breath and fell to his knees when he caught up. He sat hunched over, pressing his cheek to the cool comfort of his laptop. “Why are you so tall and fast?”

Receiving no answer, Pidge sat up and stared at Shiro. Shiro’s face was still red and his eyes were still closed. Pidge knew that silence was the best option for this situation, so he remained quiet. He sat back and crossed his legs beneath him.

Minutes passed before Shiro opened his eyes and looked at Pidge.

“Think that did it?” Shiro asked, his voice soft.

Pidge smiled.

“It did! Didn’t you see how they were smiling and staring at you? They loved you!”

Shiro laughed and buried his face in his hands. “Oh man… How long do you think I have to suffer? You know Lance is going to tease me for _days_ about this.”

“I can hear him already,” Pidge answered. He cleared his throat. “’Oh, Shiro, I have swooned over your beautiful voice! Sing for me, my little bird. Sing for me!’”

Pidge stared up at Shiro, smiling the longer Shiro stared back at him.

“That sounds _nothing_ like Lance.”

“If he says it, you owe me for when we get back to Earth. _Again_.”

Shiro rolled his eyes, but he was laughing.

Pidge shifted in his seat. He stood up and moved closer to Shiro so he could press their sides together.

“I wish Matt and Dad could have heard you singing,” Pidge whispered. “They would have thought you sounded good just as much as I did. Mom, too.”

Shiro raised his arm and wrapped it around Pidge’s shoulder. He held them close, giving them a comforting squeeze that had them both smiling.

“When we get back to Earth, we’ll play Rock Band and I’ll take the first song,” Shiro assured. “How does that sound?”

Pidge smiled up at him. “Promise?”

“Promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> The song Shiro sang is this one right [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o7VE30ptHo)! ♥
> 
> And here it is after all this time! The last day for Shidge week. I had a lot of fun doing this. I love Pidge and Shiro's relationship with each other. I love what they can accomplish together and I hope to one day see some sibling bickering from them.
> 
> Check me out on [twitter](https://twitter.com/val_hellaa). ♥


End file.
